Mayan Religion

Gods and Goddesses

The Maya believed that there were over one hundred and ninety gods and goddesses. They had a god or goddess for just about everything. Most of the gods and goddesses were part animal, part human. The gods often had a counterpart of the opposite sex. The gods ranged from a suicide god, to a rabbit god. Some people think the Maya prayed to their gods for help with harvest, war, food and other hardship.

Ceremonies

Ceremonies were held very often through out the Mayan year. Ceremonies were meant to ensure that there were enough goods to sell, plenty of food and victory in war. Ceremonies also pleased the king. Some Maya believed in using Sympathetic magic, which involved acting outing what you wanted from the gods. For example, someone would throw water over a fire, if they wanted it to rain.

Sacrifices

Sacrifices were very common to the Maya. Small animals were often killed in special ceremonies to please the gods. If a leader of the enemy was captured in battle by the Maya, his heart was removed. Prisoners, slaves and orphan children were also sacrificed. These sacrifices were all meant to please the gods.

Royal Families and kings spilt their own blood to show how close they were to the gods. They believed they would experiences visions and have direct contact with the gods by doing this.

The Calendar

The Maya mythology was based almost entirely upon one of there calendars. One of them, composed of 260 days was related to the moon cycle, the other one based on the cycle of the sun. It was composed of eighteen month of twenty days plus the last five days of the year (considered unlucky days). A third calendar combining the previous two operated in a fifty two year solar cycle. Each week was under the supervision of the particular god.

The Underworld

The underworld called Xibalbá (place of fright), was divided into nine layers. Each of them was ruled by a lord of the night. The Underground was inhabited by gods, most of them related somehow to death. The Underground was a cold and unhappy place. The Milky Way was a pathway to the Underground.

The Earth

The Maya believed the earth was flat and rested on the back of a giant crocodile that floated in a pool filled with water lilies. The Maya also believed the earth was four cornered and there was four gods (the Bacads) that waited at the four corners, which all had a special colour. East was Red, South was yellow, West was Black and North was White. The centre of the earth was Green. Some Maya believed that the four corners of the earth wore held up by four different trees and the centre held up by a cotton tree.